Prep Volleyball: Dakota’s 2A playoff run starts at home

Monday

Oct 28, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By Adam J. KradleRockford Register Star

DAKOTA — It was 35 matches and 35 wins for Dakota during the regular season. But as has been evident the past two years with back-to-back state runs, the postseason is where the volleyball team really likes to make its mark.

And the start of what could be another deep postseason run begins at home for the 2A regional-host Indians.

“They’re ready to go,” Dakota coach Shannon Williams said. “They’re excited to play and we want to see what we can do.”

Lena-Winslow, the Dakota Regional’s No. 2 seed, enters the postseason having had its strongest regular season since 2009, but the task the Panthers are charged with is quiteunenviable. Should the NUIC-West co-champs make it past (No. 3) Pecatonica in the semifinals, they’ll have to face the most skilled, tested and toughest team in the area.

Le-Win coach Sue Amendt is well aware of that challenge.

“We’re going to have to play 110 percent better than our best effort and we’re going to have to catch them on an off night,” Amendt said. “They’re established. They’ve proven themselves. Nobody’s really touched them and they’re kind of playing in a league of their own right now.”

The talent and experience the Indians possess make them a very tough out on any court, but in their home gym Dakota will have an added advantage.

For Lena-Winslow, winning a potential championship matchup with a Dakota team that is focused and ready to go on its own floor is improbable, but the Panthers’ coach does have a solid track record in postseason play.

Amendt has led Le-Win to seven regional titles in her previous 12 seasons.

“I think that we are playing at a very competitive level right now,” she said. “We’re running on a lot of different cylinders. We’ve got a lot of options. I feel like we match up well with Dakota as far as having the right height and blocking scheme to maybe catch them off guard and show them something that they haven’t experienced yet this season.”

There isn’t much the current group of Dakota players hasn’t experienced with the past two seasons ending in the state finals — winning the 1A title in 2011 and taking second in 2A last year — and playing another challenging nonconference schedule this year. But Williams knows that the Panthers could present their own challenge in a possible regional final title match.

“They’re one of those teams that’s going to put up a big block against us so we have to be smart, we have to be quick, we have to get after everything,” she said.